Scatter in the Wind
by mckee11223
Summary: The clans live by the warrior code, and Bramblestar changed it without much problem, but what will happen when another cat tries, and fails? What will she learn, about her clan, her cats, and the secrets behind it? A story of a cat, fighting for her freedom, in the only place that matters. Outside the clans.
1. List of Cats

Riverclan

Leader: **Jadestar**\- black she-cat with brown eyes and a lock of fur over her right ear

Deputy: Duskfur- brown tabby she-cat

Medicine Cat: Mothwing-dappled golden she-cat

Willowshine-gray tabby she-cat

Warriors: Mintfur-light gray tabby tom

Minnowtail-dark gray she-cat

Mallownose-light brown tabby tom

Icewing-white she-cat with blue eyes

Grasspelt-light brown tom

Mosspelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Shimmerpelt-silver she-cat

Apprentice: Burrpaw

Lakeheart-gray tabby she-cat

Apprentice: Tanglepaw

Heronwing-dark gray-and-black tom

Lizardden-light brown tom

Havenleap-black-and-white she-cat

Perchwing-gray-and-white she-cat

Apprentices: Tanglepaw-silver tom with duel colored orange and yellow eyes

Burrpaw-white tom with blue eyes

Queens: Petalfur-gray-and-white she-cat

Elders: Pouncetail-ginger-and-white tom

Pebblefoot-mottled gray tom

Rushtail-light brown tabby tom

Mistystar-former clan leader

Reedwhisker-former clan deputy

Thunderclan

Leader: Bramblestar-dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Squirrelflight-dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Medicine Cat: Jayfeather-gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

Leafpool-light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Warriors: Brackenfur-golden brown tabby tom

Cloudtail-long-haired white tom with blue eyes

Brightheart-white she-cat with ginger patches

Millie-striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Thornclaw-golden brown tabby tom

Spiderleg-long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Apprentice, Amberpaw

Birchfall-light brown tabby tom

Whitewing-white she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice, Dewpaw

Berrynose-cream-colored tom

Mousewhisker-gray-and-white tom

Cinderheart-gray tabby she-cat

Ivypool-silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

Apprentice, Snowpaw

Lionblaze-golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Dovewing-pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Rosepetal-dark cream she-cat

Poppyfrost-tortoiseshell she-cat

Briarlight-dark brown she-cat

Blossomfall-tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

Bumblestripe-very pale gray tom with black stripes

Apprentice, Seedpaw

Cherryfall-ginger she-cat

Molewhisker-brown-and-cream tom

Lilyfur-tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

Apprentices: Amberpaw-pale ginger she-cat

Dewpaw-gray and white tom

Snowpaw-white, fluffy tom

Seedpaw-golden-brown she-cat

Queens: Daisy-cream long-furred cat from the horseplace

Elders: Graystripe-long-haired gray tom

Sandstorm-pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Windclan

Leader: Onestar-brown tabby tom

Deputy: Winddeath- lean dark-brown tabby with green eyes

Medicine Cat: Kestrelflight-mottled gray tom

Apprentice: Shiverpaw

Warriors: Nightcloud-black she-cat

Gorsetail-very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

Apprentice: Sagepaw

Weaselfur-ginger tom with white paws

Leaftail-dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Emberfoot-gray tom with two dark paws

Breezepelt-black tom with amber eyes

Furzepelt-gray-and-white she-cat

Crouchfoot-ginger tom

Larkwing-pale brown tabby she-cat

Slightstream-black tom with flash of white on his chest

Featherrock-gray tabby she-cat

Hootbark-dark gray tom

Oatberry-pale brown tabby tom

Apprentices: Shiverpaw-light brown she-cat with yellow eyes

Sagepaw-tortoise shell tom with white stripes

Queens: Heathertail-light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Elders: Whiskernose-light brown tom

Crowfeather-dark gray tom

Shadowclan

Leader: Rowanstar-ginger tom

Deputy: Oaktongue- ash-black tabby with brown eyes and a furry face

Medicine Cat: Littlecloud-very small tabby tom

Apprentice: Foxpaw

Warriors: Crowfrost-black-and-white tom

Tawnypelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Owlclaw-light brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Oakpaw

Shagpierce-black mottled she-cat

Scorchfur-dark gray tom

Ferretclaw-black-and-gray tom

Stoatfur-tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Apprentice: Leafpaw

Grassblade-pale brown tabby she-cat

Spikejaw-dark brown tom

Apprentices: Foxpaw- Redish brown she-cat

Leafpaw-White fluffy tom

Owlpaw-Brown tabby tom with wide eyes

Kits: Oakkit-Dark brown she-cat

Queens: Pinenose-black she-cat

Elders: Snaketail-dark brown tom with tabby-striped tail

Whitewater-white she-cat with long fur, blind in one eye

Ratscar-brown tom with long scar across his back

Oakfur-small brown tom

Smokefoot-black tom


	2. Chapter 1: Stars Align

Chapter 1: Stars Align

"Squirrelflight, I don't want to do this anymore," Bramblestar meows sadly as he pads up to his mate. She twisted her head away from her tough shrew, and decides to stuff it back in the freshkill pile.

"What's wrong, Bramblestar? What don't you want to do anymore?" She licks his ear contently as he sits down beside her.

"This. Being a leader. Always trying to organize a clan, keeping the cats that rely and look up to me alive. I don't want to do it anymore."

Squirrelflight gasps quietly, and lays her tail across his shoulders. "Bramblestar, Firestar appointed you as his deputy because you were best warrior in the clan. You were as formidable, brave, smart, and caring as a member of Tigerclan. You've never steered us wrong before, so why are you doubting yourself now?"

He shakes his head quietly. "I wish there was something I could do." He suddenly looks much older, his responsibilities crashing down on him. Something changed in his eyes, and Squirrelflight jerks up in shock.

"How many lives do you have?" She whispers. Bramblestar doesn't answer.

"HOW MANY LIVES DO YOU HAVE?" She all but yells. Heads turn to look at them, and Bramblestar finally caves.

"One."

Gasps go up from every cat in the clan, and whispers passed quickly, their voices carried on the wind. Fear scent rose up from the hollow, and a gust of wind whips through the hollow, carrying red Leaf-fall leaves scattered through the air. It's like the world has suddenly gotten colder, and clouds block the mid-day sun, casting shadow over the forest canopy.

"Bramblestar, what happened?" She asks, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"I – " He begins, but Jayfeather coughs from behind him. Bramblestar shuts his mouth. "Nothing."

The other cats begin to scatter, but Squirrelflight stays firmly planted in place, her paw resting gently but firmly on Bramblestar's tail. "Bramblestar, what happened?" she demands.

Ignoring Jayfeather, who has now launched into a coughing fit, he tells her. "A disease. I don't know what it is, and neither does Jayfeather. But it's killing me, Squirrelflight. This might be my last moon."

A sob rises in Squirrelflight's throat, but she forces it down. "I have to go organize afternoon patrols," She chokes out, and dashes away. Once she was out of earshot, she lets herself cry and lets out a bloodcurdling wail, a scream at Starclan's injustice.

_Meanwhile, at Riverclan…_

"Jadestar! Jadestar!" A cat yells. The Riverclan leader opens one eye, and looks up at the caller with drowsy eyes, still half-dozing in the mid-day sun.

"Jadestar!" Duskfur, her deputy, caterwauls. "A Thunderclan patrol has been trespassing on our territory!"

Jadestar's ears immediately perked up. She sat up straighter and licked her paw self-consciously. "What? Who was in that patrol? Did you see them? Or did you only catch their scent?"

Duskfur chuckled. "Slow down, Jadestar. You're still barely a kit, and you're actually talking faster than me!" Jadestar snickered and batted at her with her paw, "anyways, we caught the patrol straying off course into our territory, and we warned them off."

Jadestar nodded. "Next time, crush them. Devour them. Make them fear Riverclan."

"But that's not the news. Here it is: Bramblestar only has one more life."

Jadestar jumped at least a foot in the air. "What? What happened?" She asked, her nose scrunched up in worry, her nose twitching.

"I don't know, but the patrol was talking about it. Do you think he'll mention it at the gathering tonight?"

As her heart finally calmed down, Jadestar lay back down and took a deep breath. "I don't think so. But let's hope that rumors stay rumors, because I don't want the second most influential cat in the clans to die."


	3. Chapter 2: The Full Moon

Chapter 2: The Full Moon

Gasps came from every cat as they arrived at the gathering.

The moon was full.

And the tree-bridge was gone.

As the cats all milled around, Jadestar and Riverclan arrived. They only took a few, Jadestar, Duskfur, Tanglepaw, Icewing, Shimmerpelt, and Willowshine. Willowshine had had a vision, that something big was coming. And this was probably it.

"Where's the treebridge?" Someone finally asked, and a collective sigh came up from the crowd. As if an invisible plug had been pulled, everyone started talking.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Jadestar shouted, her piercing voice cutting through the throng of voices. Soon, everyone calmed down, and she began talking.

"I don't know what happened, or why, but why has every cat gone crazy? We've gone through tougher scrapes than this, right? So, everyone go and circle around the shore, and look for another way to the island. Starclan must have left us a way."

Cats murmured their agreement, and went to search for a way. The other clan leaders looked at Jadestar scornfully, and stalked away, a silent agreement between the cats. She sighed, when a tail brushed up against her shoulder. A strong scent of pine greeted her. She whirled around to find Oaktongue, Shadowclan's deputy.

"We have to talk," He demands, and leads her away to a clump of bushes.

Her brain was screaming at her to leave, to find her clan mate, to do anything, but she forced her fur flat and continued. She smelled a fresh wave of moor scent, and saw the Windclan deputy, Winddeath. What was going on?

"I had an omen from Starclan," Oaktongue starts, "that you wanted some supporters to help you with something. My- My father told me that I must help you. And I will. So what?"

Winddeath nodded. "Yeah. Starclan told me the same thing."

Jadestar stared. How did they know? She hasn't mentioned it to anyone, and no one can walk in her thoughts, her dreams. She took a deep breath and decided to trust these two cats. Sitting down on her haunches, she tells them the short version.

"I want to change the warrior code."

"What?!" They yell, almost in unison. The bush shakes violently, and they settle down again, afraid someone might have heard.

"Be quiet!" Jadestar hissed. "As I was saying, I want to add a rule to the warrior code. If a clan leader is on his or her last life, he or she may choose to retire to the elders den or become a warrior while letting the clan deputy take over."

She flinched back a little, fully expecting for the two hostile cats to threaten her, to judge her and expose her secret to the world, but they don't. They just sit there, thinking.

"Hey, I like it!" Winddeath finally exclaims. "But you're not on your last life. Why are you thinking about this?"

Jadestar's mind flickers back to her dream. The one she hoped that no one would walk in.

_She stands, on the edge of the Thunderclan hollow. The hollow looks strange, almost like she had been here before. Every crevice and pattern in the rock somehow calls out to her, inviting her to come._

_Before her is a scene. Cats eating, sharing tongues. And then Bramblestar comes. A hushed conversation breaks out between him and his deputy, Squirrelflight, when she suddenly jerks up._

_"HOW MANY LIVES DO YOU HAVE?" She shouts, and all the cats turn to look at her._

_"One." Bramblestar replies._

_As the dream fades, Jadestar finds herself standing in a lush forest, out of place in the mid leaf-fall scene. Leopardstar pads up to her, and tells her six words._

_"He doesn't want to be leader."_

_And she wakes up, her fur matted with sweat, her mind racing._

"Starclan started something. And I have to continue it."


	4. Chapter 3: Four Moons Ago

_Four moons ago…_

Riverclan, Midnight

_"Please stay with me, Reedwhisker. You're stronger than that," Mistystar whispered, her body ridged with fear and anxiety. The sight of Reedwhisker's heaving, dying flanks was almost too much for her to bear, but she kept her paw tightly pressed over his flank, trying in vain to pump air into his lungs._

_"Stay with me."_

_Reedwhisker shuddered, then pushed her paw away. "Mistystar, promise me something," He choked out. She nodded quickly, trying to blink back her tears. "Mistystar, make Jadepaw the deputy. She deserves to be the deputy. Give her her warrior ceremony tonight, then give her the title. Please. It's my last wish…"_

_Mistystar hung her head in agony as he heaved a final, laboured breath, then none at all._

_She slowly stood up, her legs shaking with nerves. Silently, she vowed to make Reedwhisker's last wish come true, but that wasn't the only thing she vowed. "Starclan, you may say that this was destined to happen, but I swear, if this sickness takes hold of any more cats, you will have lost my faith. Forever. And I will hold that belief all through my last life."_

Windclan, Dawn

_Kestrelflight silently shook his head. Onestar watched with large, silent eyes, as Harespring lay in a crumpeled heap in the medicine cat's den. His pelt was dirty and mangled, the skin underneath cracked and bleeding. His chest barely moved, his breathing was so shallow. His former apprentice, Slightstream, watched from the shadows of a corner. He sat stiffly, with his tail between his legs, his paw carelessly kneading at it. Onestar refused to give up hope, but it was too late. Five moons too late._

_There was no way Harespring could survive._

_It shouldn't have happened, Onestar thought. Only Harespring was infected, only his beloved deputy. No leaf could cure it. No poultice, either._

_This can't be happening._

_He, Kestrelflight and Slightstream were there with him every last minute._

_He died just as the sun rose, just a sliver. He never lived to see a new dawn._

Shadowclan, Noon

_"Blackstar, is everything alright?" Rowanclaw asked, his eyes wide with alarm. "You haven't gotten sicker, have you?"_

_Blackstar stood up and shook his fur out. It was still wet and matted with blood, but he couldn't feel it. It's like his head was stuffed with moss._

_"I – I don't think I'll make it."_

_Rowanstar padded over to Blackstar's nest and stood beside it. "Don't be silly. You still have two lives. You have one to fall back on."_

_"But Tigerstar – "_

_"Tigerstar was evil. He betrayed the clans. Starclan gave him that punishment. He's dead. You are not."_

_A flicker of confusion entered Blackstar's eyes, but it was replaced with a glazed look. Suddenly, Blackstar swung his head around in odd, jerky movements._

_"Where are you? Where did you go?" He screeched, his yowl filling the camp. Littlecloud came dashing up the steps, Foxkit behind him. Leafpaw dragged him away by the scruff, leaving the medicine cat staring at his clan leader._

_"He's blind." Littlecloud said with certainty. Rowanclaw gasped while Blackstar's cries grew weaker, his voice softer._

_"If he dying?" Rowanclaw asked. "Is he going to lose a life?"_

_Littlecloud shook his head, which filled Rowanclaw with a sense of relief until he continued. "He won't lose one life. He'll lose both. He's not going to make it."_

_If the clan hadn't heard Blackstar's cries, they definitely heard the piercing scream of Rowanclaw._

Riverclan, Evening

_"A gathering. A gathering without a full moon, and without a truce," Rowanclaw finally declared. But no cat had the time or hostility for conflict._

_"We've all been shattered by our recent deaths, and the clan leaders and I," Rowanclaw continued, "have realized that it was the same disease, the same _sickness _that took Harespring, Reedwhisker, and Blackstar's lives. We know that Starclan has a reason for this, but the more pressing matter, is that we must appoint deputies."_

_"Wait." Mistystar said, pushing Rowanclaw out of the way rather roughly. "I know how. The life of a cat is long and hard, but it can often be short and painful. These cats were old by the time they were appointed, so why don't we take our youngest warrior, and allow those cats to be our deputies?"_

_A gasp came up from the clans, but not Thunderclan. Bramblestar nodded at Mistystar, and that was really all the clans needed._

_"My deputy will be Oaktongue, my youngest warrior," Yowled Rowanclaw._

_"My deputy will be Winddeath, my youngest warrior," Shouted Onestar._

_"And you?" Bramblestar prodded Mistystar._

_She looked up from the ground, her gaze strong and determined. "Jadepaw, could you please come up here?"_

_A shocked looking black she-cat rose from the ranks. She walked carefully to the front, acutely aware of the masses of cats watching her every move. She looked up at Mistystar with large and admiring eyes._

_How unfair of me to entrust this to her, Mistystar thought, but initiated the warrior ceremony. " I, Mistystar, leader of Riverclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Jadepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"_

_Jadepaw gulped. She shyly looked at the four clans behind her, then said her answer pround and strong. "I do."_

_"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Jadepaw, from this moment you will be known as Jadetail. StarClan honors your strategy and level-mindedness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Riverclan." Mistystar finishes. She rests her muzzle on Jadetail's head, and Jadetail licks her shoulder. "My deputy will be Jadetail, my youngest warrior."_

Mistystar disappeared that morning.


	5. Chapter 4: The Joint Effort

Chapter 4: The Joint Effort

Turns out, the treebridge was just washed downstream, but everyone except Riverclan cats were still skeptic about going on it.

"No offense, Jadestar, but I don't want to end up like Crookedstar just to test out the treebridge," Squirrelflight announced, as the Riverclan leader stifled a laugh. Her tail swung in wide arcs, and nearly went into a startled Cloudtail's mouth.

"Hey! Watch where you're swinging that thing!" He cries indignantly as he promptly spits out a hairball.

"Here. We'll lead a team to try and shift the tree over. Bramblestar, could you take care of the land obstacles?" Jadestar directed, feeling more into element. "Onestar, could your clan scout out the island first? I want some fast cats out there first. And Rowanstar, could your clan maybe hunt a little? We're all going to be here all night, and I don't want drenched AND starving warriors." All the clan leaders nodded, and went on with their tasks. Jadestar sucked in a shuddering breath, calmed her nerves, and called out once more. This time her voice was small and timid.

"Yes?" Onestar asked impatiently, his paw thrumming on the wet mud.

"I – I want to add a rule to the warrior code."

Every cat who wasn't listening earlier was listening now. Dozens of pairs of ears swiveled in her direction, ready to catch the slightest mistake.

"I think that any clan leader who is on his or her last life may retire peacefully to be an elder or warrior and leave the clan's care to the deputy."

Immediately the clearing broke out in chaos. Windclan and Shadowclan yowled at her, while her own clan milled around in confusion. Only Thunderclan seemed to be fine; they simply stared at her with paralyzing shock.

"What? Are you suggesting giving clan leaders the powers to abandon their clan?" One cat shouted.

"Yeah! Have you forgotten about Nightstar and Tallstar? You remember how angry Starclan was?!" Another screamed.

Jadestar darted around in fear, while Oaktongue and Winddeath formed a defensive row with her. Even her clan deputy, Duskfur, stood in the middle of the fray, shouting obscenities.

"I – I," Jadestar mumbled, but the mob of cats were surrounding her.

"Banish her!" Onestar screeched, with murder in his eyes. "Banish her and her little friends!"

Winddeath stared at him, his face a perfect mixture of shock and disbelief. Shock at the banishment, and disbelief at the fact that his own clan leader would turn on him.

"Yeah! Banish them!" Another cat yowled, and suddenly everyone was aggressive. Jadestar nudged Oaktongue and Winddeath and pointed them towards a gap in the forest.

"Run. I'll be right behind you," She whispered. They nodded, and sprinted off. Steeling herself, Jadestar dug her claws in the dirt, took a deep breath, and hissed.

The crowd became silent as her fur starts to stand up on end. Her hiss turns into a screech, and then into a roar. Her black sur bristled, and her tail shot straight up in the air. Her bared her teeth, the sharp tips flashing in the moonlight. "STAY. AWAY. FROM. MY. FRIENDS!" She yowled, and raced into the forest, hissing and scratching at a nearby cat for good measure.

As she dashed away, the sounds of the impromptu gathering became smaller, smaller, and as the last traces of her home disappeared, she felt alone. Even with Oaktongue and Winddeath, she felt completely, utterly alone.

But she'd done what she had to. She knew it. So why did she feel so awful?


	6. Chapter 5: Skyclan

**NOT CANON. The cats are the ones listed at the beginning of Firestar's Quest. I gave up on clan lists. So sue me.**

Chapter 5: Skyclan

Amberwolf

Her ears perked up right in the middle of training. Her apprentice, Rabbitpaw, looked on with surprised curiosity.

"Amberwolf, what's wrong? Is something wrong with my warrior assessment?" She asked politely, but Amberwolf's mind was on something else, _somewhere _else.

_A black she-cat, with brown eyes and a lock of fur over her right ear._

"Hmm? Nothing's wrong. Keep climbing."

Rabbitpaw dangled off a high tree branch, her tail swinging frantically to keep her balance. "Uh, Amberwolf? You're SURE nothing's wrong with this?"

Amberwolf finally looked up, and saw the swinging cat. "Yeow! Rabbitpaw! You scared me! Come down here this instant!"

Obediently Rabbitpaw flipped skillfully onto the tree branch and jumped down, landing gracefully on her front two paws with her tail wrapped around her back. "Well, I'm not afraid of heights anymore!"

_An ash-black tabby tom with brown eyes and a furry face._

Amberwolf shook her head, but something was clouding her gaze. "I'm sorry. I have to go speak with Echosong. You passed."

And then she ran away quickly from a very confused Rabbitpaw.

"Echosong, is it a vision?" She asked as the medicine cat prodded her in the ear by mistake.

"I'm not sure. Are you sure that this isn't a deceased Starclan cat you're seeing?"

Amberwolf shook her head. "Not just one. Two, walking side by side."

Echosong nodded her head.

_The black she-cat, and the ash-black tabby tom, walking side by side, eyes determined, pawsteps intertwining._

"I've – I've heard about something like this before."

"Oh?" Echosong tilted her head.

"Yeah," Amberwolf said hesitantly, slowly nodding her head. "I remember… I remember something. I don't know what."

Echosong sighed. "Well, there's nothing I can help you with. I mean, from what I can tell, you left Rabbitpaw alone in the forest."

"Fox dung!" She cursed, and sprinted out of the cave.

Echosong scooped her paw into a narrow crevice and fished out a tuff of fur. It's almost lost its smell, after nearly 20 moons, but she still held the fire-red fur to her nose and sniffed. She could smell him. And she could smell him on her. He's long gone; Starclan has told her that much, but she's here.

And Echosong had no doubt in her mind that it was time for Amberwolf to return to the clans.


	7. Chapter 6: If Only, If Only

Chapter 6: If Only, If Only…

Squirrelflight felt numb as Jadestar delivered her speech. She watched as the Windclan and Shadowclan deputies leapt to her aid, and watched as Duskfur, Jadestar's deputy, caterwauled against her clan leader. She watched all of it with a quiet indifference, as did the rest of her clan, but inside her head was whirling. How did she know? Who had told her?

Unless Dovewing's powers are back and reincarnated, Jadestar couldn't possibly have known. But…

What about the telepathy Squirrelflight had with Leafpool? How could that factor in? Was there even a relation?

She sighed and plopped down, right in the middle of a mud puddle. Bramblestar passed her once, but didn't comment.

Does Jadestar have a sibling? A sister, or a brother? She knew that Reedwhisker was her father, but who was her mother?

Squirrelflight sat up suddenly. Reedwhisker never had a mate.

_16 moons ago…_

_"Bramblestar! Bramblestar!" She wailed from her den._

_The clan leader raced in, a clump of moss in his jaws, as if he's forgotten how to release._

_"Get Leafpool." She whispered, her paw clutching her belly. Bramblestar nodded once, and raced off to the medicine cat den, without releasing his moss. He didn't need to ask what was going on. Squirrelflight's already been in the nursery for a moon._

_She felt the kits squirming. Biting back a stab of pain, she knew she shouldn't clench her teeth, but it was hard not to._

_Leafpool rushed in with Bramblestar at her heels. She firmly stuck a tail in his face and told him to get a sturdy stick._

_There was a blank in her memory, but when she woke up; she remembered seeing two soggy little kittens. She-cats. One black, one gold. Bramblestar finally shouldered his way in, and lay next to her, breathing in the milky scents of the kittens._

_"My precious gems," She cooed._

_"Why don't we name them after gems then?" Bramblestar suggested._

_Squirrelflight nodded. "How about Jade and Amber?"_

_"Jadekit, and Amberkit."_

_2 moons later…_

_Night. All was peaceful, and was quiet. And Squirrelflight was fidgeting in her sleep. She should be out there, being a warrior. Not that she was tired of her two energetic kits, but she should be doing something._

_A scratching noise woke her up entirely. Just in time to see a red furred paw taking her kits away._

_"FOX! FOX!" She screeched, as a sign of commotion came from outside._

_But it was too late. The fox was gone. And so were the kits._

Reedwhisker never had a mate.


	8. Chapter 7: Mist on the Path

Chapter 7: Mist on the Path

Amberwolf

_A lone cat walked on a deserted twoleg path. She could barely see for the blinding fog. Every step was treacherous, even if twolegs thought it was smooth. She didn't expect to see anyone else, but at the same time, she felt close to another. It was like… It was like a feeling, just a feeling, of what was to come._

_"Hey!" A voice called out from the mist. Amberwolf whirled around, almost toppling over. The mist stung her nose, and she couldn't smell anything._

_"Over here!" The voice called, again. It almost sounded strained, as if the speaker was in pain. "Look for the rock!"_

_Amberwolf turned in a circle, but she still couldn't see who it was. Then, she saw a flash of light, like a shining star, and felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her neck._

She immediately woke up staring at another cat. Yelping in surprise, she scrambled up and hissed at her, only to realize that the cat wasn't attack. She was just sitting there. Just sitting. Looking at her.

The twoleg dens around her come into focus. The black, grassless plains were alight with monsters. She was so, very close to rolling over the edge.

She took a minute to look at the cat. She was gray, no. Blue-gray, with large, round blue eyes. Her muscles were sleek and well used, and she had a scar across her ear, almost cutting it. There were several scars around her body, which suggested that she had been in many fights. She had a certain air to her that seemed as if she was used to being in charge, being the calm, collected leader. She wore no collar.

The journey came back to Amberwolf in a blur. Echosong had told her that she needed to find the :forest cats." She needed to find the clans. She was pointed in a vague direction by Echosong, and she had run, sprinted as fast as she can across forests, moors, twoleg paths, for almost 3 days, before collapsing here.

And now there was this cat here.

But the fact is, the cat seemed very familiar, as if she should know who she is.

"Who are you?" The strange cat asked. Amberwolf was offended. How dare this cat steal her question?

"A cat. Duh. Who are you?"

"A cat as well. You can see can't you?"

Amberwolf seethed. Jeez, can this cat just leave?

"What's your name?" Amberwolf asks impatiently, itching to continue on her journey.

"Mist."

Amberwolf cocks her head. Mist? Like the dream? But what about the light, the pain?

"Mist? Just mist?" She asks, as if she herself should know the answer.

Mist shook her head slightly. "It used to be different, in a different life, maybe. But it's mist now. Because no one can truly see me."

Amberwolf didn't really understand, but she nodded anyways. "What is this place?"

Mist smirked. "You'll find out soon."

And she disappeared, her tail swishing against the ground. The sun rose high into the sky, beating down on Amberwolf's fur. I'd better get walking, she thought, but as soon as she turned, she saw a gang of cats. And leading them was a pure black cat.


End file.
